Finish The Job

OPINION

In the past couple of years, Congress responded to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks by creating a huge new department dedicated to homeland security and carrying out the most comprehensive reform of intelligence since 1947.

Yet the job of reorganizing government to protect Americans is incomplete. The 9-11 commission, which pushed successfully for intelligence reform, also urged Congress to streamline its "dysfunctional" committee system for overseeing both homeland security and intelligence.

So far, there has been little will on Capitol Hill to comply with this imperative. It seems congressional leaders are more interested in protecting turf for their committees than protecting Americans.

The 9-11 commission recommended bringing the Homeland Security Department under the oversight of single committees in the House and Senate. Currently, the department answers to dozens of panels in both bodies.

The commission also called for Senate and House intelligence committees to take over spending authority for spy agencies. But the congressional appropriators who control that authority aren't willing to yield the power.

Congress can't oversee homeland security and intelligence effectively when that responsibility is split among so many committees. And the agencies will keep squandering valuable time trying to serve so many masters.

Commission members have said they will step up their lobbying for Congress to get its house in order. Here's hoping they shame members into acting.